Reid says Dolphins can speak with Albert's agent

Coach Andy Reid on Thursday night said the Chiefs have given the Miami Dolphins permission to negotiate a contract with the agent for left tackle Branden Albert. But Reid said the Chiefs have denied the Dolphins the opportunity to contact Albert himself or give him a physical examination. That permission, he said, wouldn’t be allowed until the teams agree on the terms of a trade, which has yet to happen.

Some items from today as the Chiefs finished a three-day minicamp at their Truman Sports Complex practice facility:

Coach Andy Reid said tonight the Chiefs have given the Miami Dolphins permission to negotiate a contract with the agent for left tackle Branden Albert.

Earlier in the day, Reid denied an ESPN report that the Chiefs had given the Dolphins permission to talk with Albert. But Reid later said while the Chiefs have allowed Albert's agent to enter negotiations, the Chiefs have denied the Dolphins the opportunity to contact Albert himself or give him a physical examination. That permission, Reid said, wouldn’t be allowed until the teams agree on the terms of a trade, which has yet to happen.

The Chiefs are looking for a second-round pick in return for Albert, who recently signed his one-year contract worth about $9.83 million but hasn’t participated in the offseason conditioning program or in this week’s mini-camp because he is unhappy with his situation.

The Dolphins are a convenient trading partner because they are looking for a left tackle after losing Jake Long in free agency and have an extra second-round draft pick this year. Miami has the 42nd overall pick, its own choice, and the 54th overall pick, which it previously acquired from Indianapolis.

The Chiefs will have a rookie minicamp in early May, but the full squad doesn’t gather for another practice for almost a month. They will also hold another minicamp in June. When asked what the Chiefs got out of their three days of work, Reid said, “You get a little bit of a feel for your team. That’s what you get out of this.’’

The Chiefs signed linebacker Orie Lemon, who participated in the minicamp on a tryout basis. The 6-foot-1, 242-pound Lemon is an inside linebacker. He played in college at Oklahoma State and played in five games last season for the Dallas Cowboys.

The NFL will release the regular-season schedule for the Chiefs and all the other NFL teams tonight. One interesting feature for the Chiefs is a game at Philadelphia, where Reid coached the Eagles for 14 years before arriving in Kansas City this year.

Asked about going back to Philadelphia, Reid said, “We’ll see when we get there. I think once you get down on the field and you get going, it’s a football game. That’s how it works.’’

Then, mindful of the angry nature of Eagles fans and how the Eagles won just four games in Reid’s final season, he added sarcastically, “I’m sure the fans will appreciate it. I’m sure they will welcome me back with open arms.’’